Total Solar Eclipse 2024: The first solar eclipse of the year, which will be a total solar eclipse, is set to occur on April 8. People living in regions such as North America, the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Arctic, western Europe, and northern South America will be able to witness the celestial spectacle. However, it will not be visible in India.
This is because India does not lie in the path of totality of the eclipse, and the event will occur at night. It will begin at around 9:12 pm IST on April 8, and end at around 2:22 am IST on April 9, according to timeanddate.com.
What is a total solar eclipse?
When the new Moon comes between the Sun and the Earth, and casts the darkest part of its shadow, or umbra, on the planet, the face of the Sun is completely blocked from the Earth. This is known as a total solar eclipse.
During a total solar eclipse, the Sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, becomes clearly visible. But one must not look at the Sun directly at the time of totality, or when the Moon completely covers the bright face of the Sun, because this can cause severe eye injury.
People should wear specialised eye protection while viewing a total solar eclipse, and use a telescope with a special-purpose solar filter.
Only regions located in the path of the Moon’s umbra can see a total solar eclipse. People living outside the umbra’s path can see a partial solar eclipse, wherein the Moon blocks only a part of the Sun.
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How to watch the total solar eclipse from India?
Since the eclipse will begin at night in India, people living in the country will not be able to witness it in the skies, but they can watch the cosmic event online.
NASA will stream the total solar eclipse on its official YouTube channel and social media platforms.
What are the different phases of a total solar eclipse?
A total solar eclipse takes place in five stages. These are: beginning of partial solar eclipse (first contact); beginning of total solar eclipse (second contact); totality and maximum eclipse; end of total eclipse (third contact); and end of partial eclipse (fourth contact).
In the first contact phase, the Moon becomes visible over the Sun’s disk.
During the second contact phase, the Moon starts covering the entire disk of the Sun, with some observers in the Moon’s umbral path seeing the diamond ring effect.
The totality and maximum stage is the one in which the Moon completely covers the disk of the Sun, with only the Sun’s corona being visible, as a result of which the sky goes dark, and temperatures drop. The midpoint of the time of totality of a solar eclipse is known as the maximum point of the eclipse.
The third contact phase is the one in which the Moon starts to move away, and the Sun reappears.
When the Moon leaves the Sun’s disk, the partial eclipse ends.
